"Ticket scandal" sparks outrage among Manchester United fans

Manchester United fans organized a protest on Sunday against the club's owners ahead of the derby match against Manchester City, in response to the cancellation of hundreds of season tickets as part of a campaign to combat ticket reselling.

Many fans participated in a march towards Old Trafford, responding to a call from the "The 1958" group that urged supporters to "unite" against what they deemed a "scandal of seasonal ticket bans," stating that the club's management had "crossed the line."

This protest came after Manchester United announced the cancellation of 685 season tickets, confirming that this action is part of a process that dismantled organized ticket reselling networks.

However, these measures sparked significant anger among fans, amid fears that "innocent" supporters could face penalties as a result of the investigations.

The "Red Army" supporters group announced, on the eve of the match against Manchester City, that they would refrain from raising flags and banners during the game, protesting the club's handling of the ticket reselling issue.

 Protesters chanted anti-Glazer family and co-owner Jim Ratcliffe slogans outside the "Bishop's Blaze" pub near Old Trafford, while fireworks were launched in green and gold colors.

Fans held up a banner that read: "You take everything from the fans and punish us with bans for no reason. Prices are exorbitant out of greed."

The protests extended to the "Munich Tunnel" in the stadium, where chants demanding the Glazer family's departure rose up in front of the entrance designated for club board members.

Manchester United reported last month that an independent company uncovered large-scale organized ticket reselling operations after reviewing account activities on the club's ticket sales platform between March and June.

The club acknowledged that the investigations "caused significant concern and distress for some fans," and that it underestimated the prevalence of shared usernames and passwords, admitting that some fans felt they had been treated unfairly.